All we wanted to do was go and win the Ashes': Ollie Pope hits out at England critics

"The misconception might be that we weren't as fussed as it came across. The tough thing for everyone in that first game was the nature of it. Had we won that, and we'd done slightly better on day two, the idea is different. Of course we want to be a well-liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn't allow that to happen in Australia."

"I can understand why people felt that way, but at the same time the perception that we weren't fussed was probably the hard thing. All we wanted to do was go and win the Ashes. As individuals, everyone's trying to manage with the pressures of an Ashes series and trying to get the best out of their performance and doing what they can."

Ollie Pope defends England's commitment during their 4-1 Ashes series defeat in Australia, challenging the perception that the team lacked motivation. While acknowledging why such impressions formed following off-field incidents in Noosa and New Zealand, Pope emphasizes that players genuinely wanted to win. He attributes the negative perception partly to England's failure to capitalize on a competitive start in the first Test at Perth. Pope notes that had England performed better early in the series, perceptions would differ significantly. He recognizes that while the team aims to be well-liked both on and off the pitch, their performance ultimately prevented this. The squad faced scrutiny over tour preparation, individual performances, and behavior, with the EWB conducting a comprehensive review of the troubled tour.

Read at www.theguardian.com